The massive NFL Sunday Ticket verdict wasn’t going to lead to immediate payouts to the millions of consumers and business owners covered by the class-action lawsuit. 

But more than a month after a jury found the NFL liable for over $4.7 billion in damages (an award that could triple to $14 billion under antitrust law), U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez expressed concerns about the eight jurors’ math. Gutierrez said at a Wednesday hearing it was clear the jury “didn’t follow the instructions” and came up with a figure that wasn’t presented from evidence offered at the three-week trial. 

Gutierrez is faced with a few different options on how to remedy the award, including totally setting aside the verdict. It’s more likely, however, that Gutierrez orders a new trial—one that likely won’t take place until 2025—unless he opts to reduce the damages or keep the verdict as is. 

“There was a chance Judge Gutierrez would rule from the bench, but it was not likely,” said Andrew Brandt, a former vice president with the Packers and current Sports Illustrated columnist. “Now we wait to see [what Gutierrez rules].”

There’s no precise timetable for when Gutierrez will make his ruling, but it’s likely to be several days from now, and potentially weeks. And whichever way he rules, the side on the wrong end of his decision will almost assuredly head to appeals court to challenge it. 

The lawsuit was composed of two classes: 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 bar, restaurant, and other business customers who subscribed to Sunday Ticket from the 2011 through 2022 seasons.

Immediate Changes Unlikely

Gutierrez’s issues over the award calculations don’t mean he won’t issue an order that upholds the jury’s determination the NFL violated antitrust laws by keeping the out-of-market package’s price higher to appease Fox and CBS—which pay the league $4.4 billion combined to broadcast Sunday afternoon games. 

The NFL signaled in recent weeks it would appeal such a finding by Gutierrez. The 9th Circuit would almost certainly issue a stay preventing any structural changes as the appeal is argued, a process that would play out well into 2025. 

That would leave the current setup on YouTube TV—which began as the new exclusive home of Sunday Ticket last season as part of a seven-year, $14 billion deal—unchanged for the 2024 season. The current Sunday Ticket list price for non–YouTube TV subscribers is $449 with a $100 discount for YouTube TV customers.

Saudi Arabia does not have any competition to host the 2034 World Cup, but that isn’t stopping the nation from pulling out all the stops in its bid.

The Middle Eastern nation submitted its formal bid to FIFA in Paris on Wednesday, and it included plans to construct 11 new stadiums, according to ESPN. Saudi Arabia’s complete bid includes 15 stadiums in five host cities—including Neom, a still unbuilt city in the northwest region of the country.

Neom—which the country dubs as a “future global hub”—will be home to the most distinct of the proposed stadiums, built nearly 1,150 feet above the ground. The Neom Stadium will seat 45,000 and will be built into a cliff edge in the region called “The Line,” which will have no roads, cars, and emissions, and it will run on 100% renewable energy. The stadium will therefore be accessible via only transit or driverless vehicles. 

“Neom Stadium will be the most unique stadium in the world,” Saudi’s committee wrote in an outline of its bid. “With a pitch situated more than 350 meters above ground, stunning vistas, and a roof created from the city itself, the stadium will be an experience like no other.”

FIFA is expected to confirm the host for the 2034 World Cup later this year.

Sports Stronghold

It’s no secret Saudi Arabia is going all in on sports. 

The Saudi World Cup bid highlights the soccer investments of its Public Investment Fund, which include signing the likes of soccer megastars Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar to Saudi Pro League contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The country funds LIV Golf, the PGA Tour rival that has signed many of the Tour’s players by offering them life-changing contracts and lighter schedules. The PIF and PGA Tour announced there would be a merger between the two sides, but it’s still unclear how exactly the partnership will work.

While those are two of the country’s more prominent investments, it has also hosted other high-profile sporting events, including an annual Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, boxing matches featuring the likes of Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou, as well as WWE premium live events.

The next step for the country could be minority ownership of a major U.S. sports team. While the NFL has yet to open ownership stakes to private equity or sovereign wealth funds, other major sports leagues like the NBA and MLS have removed restrictions.

Looming Criticism

The most prominent cloud hanging over Saudi Arabia’s investments is the accusations of sportswashing—that the country is using sports to hide human-rights violations such as inequitable treatment of women.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in an interview on The Dan Patrick Show last year he has not received a bid from the Saudis for a team. He did not dismiss a potential investment from the Saudis, though he labeled it as a “two-edged sword.

“When the Saudis invest in sports, it gets outsized attention,” Silver said in response to a question about the merger. 

The country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said last year that he isn’t fazed by any sportswashing claims.

“If sportswashing [is] going to increase my GDP by 1%, then I will continue doing sportswashing,” bin Salman said.